The Canadien way. Grab bag.

[Cranky]

It was a pretty good game from the boys. A typical Canadien game. Grind, hit, occasional show of brilliance. Second best game that I have seen on the Olympics. I am showing evidence of the Canadien way too, bit through two finger nails.

Salane would look real good in a Habs uniform.

Whats wrong with Eric? Is he hurt or just washed up?

Mario can stick handle and is really smart with the puck but, he has really slowed down.

Our defenceman are really punishing everybody back there. I saw a couple of dozen "extra" pain remedies issued back there. I wonder if we could send Komi and Hainsey to pick up some pointers. Other then Mac, our boys can really dish it out and playing well. I wish they could skate a little better, oh well.

Belarus? BELARUS??    As long as the boys don't fall asleep on Friday, we are watching GOLD on SUNDAY. ;D

I hope it is Russia. I don't like dem Americans, too tough. Then again, Eric might be saving himself for the big one.

BTW here is Joe's Canada rant.
<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>

MY NAME IS JOE

Hey. I'm not a lumberjack, or a fur trader.
And I don't live in an igloo, or eat blubber, or own a dogsled.

And I don't know Jimmy, Sally or Suzy from Canada, although I'm certain they're really, really nice.

I have a Prime Minister, not a President.

I speak English and French, NOT American. and I pronounce it 'ABOUT', NOT 'A BOOT'.

I can proudly sew my country's flag on my backpack. I believe in peace keeping, NOT policing. DIVERSITY, NOT assimilation, AND THAT THE BEAVER IS A TRULY PROUD AND NOBLE ANIMAL.

A TOQUE IS A HAT, A CHESTERFIELD IS A COUCH, AND IT IS PRONOUCED 'ZED' NOT 'ZEE', 'ZED'!!!

CANADA IS THE SECOND LARGEST LANDMASS! THE FIRST NATION OF HOCKEY! AND THE BEST PART OF NORTH AMERICA!

MY NAME IS JOE!! AND I AM CANADIAN!!!!!!!!

Thank you.

[seventeen]

Does anyone else think our guys lack strength?  They seem to tire faster than their opposition and then a guy like Timmonen, who looks all of 5' 10" 180 lbs, pushes Iginla into the boards and takes the puck.  Glad they won, but man....I don't need this.  Selanne might be the only Finn who could make the Canadian Olympic team, so why is it so tough for us?  

We really have to finish better...lots of chances again, but only 2 goals.  Put a few of those away early and it's a walk.  We gave Finland a reason to work hard.  But all's well that ends well.  Belarus shouldn't be a problem, but let's give them a 5 goal handicap in our minds so that we don't take them lightly.

[Pam]

HabsAddict said:

Salane would look real good in a Habs uniform.
I hope it is Russia. I don't like dem Americans, too tough. Then again, Eric might be saving himself for the big one.

I would prefer to see Selanne in Toronto. The Leafs 1st line desperately needs help. They need to get rid of Hogie and get someone on Sundin's line that will make it dynamite.

Gee I'm crushed, HA! I thought you liked me.
I can say that lots of us U.S. Citizens want the Gold Medal Round to be between the USA and Canada. Most of the Play-by-Play and Colour Analysts are from Canada and they also want it to be a USA/Canada Gold Medal Round.

[Vichab]

i liked what i saw tonight altho I agree that if these guys could finish they would make life alot easier on everyone , in particular me. Mario is not slow. There's talk he's playing injured (hip or back ?) which would slow you down however i have heard many players say that he is deceptive as you don't think he has much speed but he pulls away from you. Fact is anyway you cut it he's an asset and leading this team.

What i don't understand is the rave reviews Jovanowski is getting. I thought he was one of our worst Dmen. Not only was he on for the lone goal against as he for some inexplicable reason chased the Finn behind the net, he was often making bad play selections and taking risky chances. Having said that there was no way his hit in the third should have been a penalty. The finn player who was lined up suddenly turns his back to Jovo. Bad call especially when you consider that the ref did not call Selanne on Pronger which was clearly running from behind.  On D Macinnis continued to show he is slow as Selanne went right around him for one of the Finns best chances.

In goal brodeur is playing great. aside from stopping the pucks without many shots which is similar to what he's use to in NJ his puck handling is a huge asset.

Up front the lines are starting to gel not only with the passing but defensively we are rarely giving up odd man breaks. We had amazing chances in the first two periods and if not for Hermes the scored could have been 5-0 after two.

the boys are ready. They will walk over Belarus. The only question is would i rather play the US or Russia which is a topic for another post. I prefer our chances over the US but i don't think i could handle them winning. As much as I hate the Russians I don't want to see the cocky Americans, yeah the same ones who destroyed the rooms in Nagano win on home ice.

[The New Guy]

My thoughts/rants/whatever:

-> I think the guys tire faster when they play on the big ice.  You know, that whole high altitude/more ice surface thing has got to be causing some problems.  This can be confirmed by watching Sakic, Foote and Blake when we play.  As the other guys start fading these three, who live and play in mile high city anyways, and they seem to wear down a little slower during the run of a game.  I dunno, maybe it's my imagination.

-> Why oh why oh why do we ALWAYS face teams with hot goalies?  Hasek was the only one in all the games we've played so far that seemed almost mortal.

-> Is Fleury really that fast, or is it just where his short stubby legs have to move a lot faster to get up an down the ice?  Does he ever look dangerous when he decides to turn those after burners on.

-> I hope, oh I so badly hope that the guys don't take little old Belarus for granted.  Sweeden did and now Mats' mommy is calling.

-> Say what you like about Pronger (and he has been one of our weaker d-men) he certainly paid the price last night to move the puck around the boards.  Has boarding suddenly become legal in international hockey?  Twice he was hit from behind (okay, once it was more of a wrestling-grab out head and slam it into the glass with all my weight behind it type thing) and there was neither whistle on the play.

-> Best player last night: Yzerman... he was doing it all.  Back checking, fore checking, showing those Finns how to stick handle properly - everything.  

-> Worst player last night: Al MacInnis... I feel bad for Al.  He's really, really giving everything he's got.  But his passing game's never been grade A, and now that he's getting up there, his legs are very, very slow.  He just can't do what he needs to do to be an effective ES d-man.  Give him a spot on the PP - fine.  But he's really ineffective 5 on 5.

[BadCompany]

Some Random Thoughts.

Gotta hand it to the Finns - Canada brought its "A" game and the Finns didn't back down. We threw everything we had at them, and they kept coming back for more. I don't know about you guys, but I was practically shaking the last 5 minutes, as wave after wave of Finns came at us. A very good game, and neither team has anything to be ashamed of.

I thought Jani Jurme, Teamu Selanne and Nicklas Hagman were the best Finns. God, I would love to have Selanne on the Habs next season. Last night he was dangerous, fast, shifty, mean and spirited. It may have been a cheap hit, but he absolutely crushed a much, much larger Chris Pronger into the boards. So much for the "soft European" eh? If Saku Koivu could bring that kind of inspired play out of Selanne every spring during playoff season, I'd back $12 million up to the Finnish Flash's house myself.

Al MacInnis really did look slow. Still exceptionally dangerous on the powerplay.

I don't think Lindros was hurt. I think he was benched. Did he play at all the 3rd period? When they showed that shot of the Canadian bench after the game ended, I thought Lindros' celebration looked a little forced. He was angry. Good thing the Leafs didn't make that trade for the Big E last year, eh? Bonnie and Carl would be burning up Pat Quinn's phone, demanding to know why their son was humiliated like that. But Lindros has played terrible and un-inspired hockey this tournament. He deserved to be benched. If this doesn't wake him up and turn him into a force against the Belarousians, then he should be benched again.

How many shots did the Canadians block last night? Seemed like a lot to me.

I feel bad for Tommy Salo. While I am happy that the Swedes are out, I hated to see it happen that way. This loss is being considered a national disgrace in Sweden, and Salo, who has served his country well and proud (he was the guy that stoned us during the Lillehammer shootout, winning a gold for Sweden then) will undoubtably be the scapegoat. Bill Buckner, after letting that ground ball scoot threw his legs in '86, recieved so much hate mail, for years on end, that he eventually upped and left the New England area, his home. I hope Salo doesn't recieve the same treatment, though I suspect he will. Still, I betcha they were dancing in the streets of...what the heck is Belarus' capital anyways?

Wayne Gretzky rocks.

Go Canada!

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

minsk, my good man, is the capitol of belarus.

[GNick]

Lindros doesn't hit anybody anymore. I have some tapes from the '91 Canada Cup and he was cleaning everything in site. As a 18 year old. He must be getting hit shy. He is more effective when he is running over everybody.

After this performance it is kind of doubtful he will ever play in Toronto.

I'm kind of glad Sweden lost. They were getting so cocky and boostful when they beat us, it couldn't have happened to a better team.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

I'm hoping for a Canada US final. I have 800 channels on Direct TV and I couldn't get the Canada game live. Maybe if they play the US it will be on TV.
Hab's fan in LA who has to watch US female 2 man bobsleads instead of the Canada game.
Yes, I did say female 2 man. I would like to see Boullioin try to move them away from the front of the net.

[seventeen]

TNG - When you keep facing a hot goalie, the answer sometimes lies in cold sticks.  

If Lindros is unhappy at being benched, he should do something about it.  Play harder, forget the concussions.  If he never plays another NHL game, he's still a rich man.  I can appreciate the health concerns, but this is war and we can't afford spectators.  

If we get past Belarus (don't laugh...nothing seems to come easy for us), I'd rather play the Russians.  Not because they're weaker (Team Canada would probably stack up better against the US because of their style), but because I can't sympathize with the US in the least.  If there was some way a Russian win could harm the state of Georgia and the lumber barons down there, I'd be parceling out my sheikels to make it so.  Since their punitive, bullying tactics against our lumber industry, I've been lobbying for the Feds to legalize Marijuana (hemp) to shaft Georgia's cotton industry.  Yes, I'm an economic terrorist.